Machines



3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

A. BQDODGE.

0AM LOGK FOR KNITTING MACHINES.

Patented Nov. 29, 1881.

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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2. A. B. DODGE,

I 0AM LOGK FOR KNITTING MAOHINES. I No. 250,218. Patented Nov. 29,1881.

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICEQ AVERY B. DODGE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR OF' ONE-THIRD T0 JOSEPH STEWART, OF SAME PLACE.

CAM-LOCK FOR KNITTING-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 250,218, dated November 29, 1881. Application filed March 13,1880. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AVERY B. DODGE, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in the Locks of Knitting-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is applicable more especially to what is known as the Lamb Knitting-Machine, but applicable also to other straightknitting machines in which the needles move lengthwise.

The invention relates to a novel construction of the center cam, the principal feature of which consists of a system of movable switches which are self-adjusting, according to the direction of the movement of the carriage, in knitting what is commonly known as Cardigan or polka stitch, or in knitting a circular web, and which can be adjusted for knitting plain or ribbed work.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a back view of the lock-plate, showing also a part of the grooved plate in which the needles work and a number of the needles, and showing, partly in full outline and partly in dotted outline, the cams of the lock. Figs. 2, 3, and 4 are inner face views of the lock, showing its parts in different positions,-as will be hereinafter explained. Figs. 5 and 6 are inner face views of locks, showing slight changes in the form of some of the details of the invention. Fig. 7 is a view on an enlarged scale of a piece ofknitting in what is known as the Cardigan or polka stitch, showing the knitting very open, to render the stitch visible.

A is the lock-plate, to which all the cams are attached.

B B are the two cams, known as wingcams, for depressing the needles. These are shown as constructed and fitted to the lockplate in the usual manner.

C C are the needles, which may be fitted to the grooved plate D in the usual manner.

E F F, Figs. 2, 3, 4, indicate my improved center cam as adapted for the knittin g of both Cardigan web and plain ribbed work. This cam is represented as composed of three piecesviz., the bottom or foot piece, E, which is secured rigidly to the lock-plate A and not movable thereon, and the two switches F F, which are pivoted into the said plate A. The footpiece E is substantially like the lower part of the A- shaped center cam heretofore employed for elevating the needles-that is to say, it has its sides 0 e correspondingly sloped in opposite directions-but it extends only about half the height of that cam, and its upper edge, 0*, presents a horizontal line. The switches F F are two small flat metal plates of such form, substantially as shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4, and so arranged relatively to the foot-piece E and so pivoted to the plate A, that their outer edges may be made to align with thesides of the foot-piece E and their ends bear upon the edge 0*, and thus close the space or passage immediately above the said edge 6*, as shown in Fig. 4, or that they may be brought to such positions (shown in Fig. 2) that their ends will be in contact with the wings, and thus close or bar the passage along the faces of said cams, so that the shanks c c of the needles may pass under them and between them and the edge 6*. The said switches have firmly secured to their respectivev pivots f f, at the back of the plate A, toes a 0L, which are so pressed by springs 12 b, secured to the plate A, that when not otherwise operated upon or restrained the switch F is in the first abovedescribed position and the switch F in thelast above-described position, as shown in Fig. 3. The consequence of this construction and arrangement of the switches and this action of the springs is that when the carriage moves in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 3 the shanks of those needles which are being raised by the cam E F F are prevented by the switch F from passing over the edgee and caused to pass over the said switch, and consequently over the top of the cam, giving the needles their full movement; but when the carriage moves in the opposite direction (indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2) the shanks of the needles which are being raised cannot pass the switch F, but are caused by the latter to pass over the edge 6*, and hence the needles are only permitted to move high enough for tucking-in, thus making what is called the Cardigan or polka stitch, (represented in Fig. 7 in which the stitches proper are indi- IOG cated by the letters s s and the tucks by the letters t t.) In the movement in the direction last above mentioned the spring 1) allows the switch F to be raised by the needle-shanks under which the edge 6* is passing, and in the movement in the direction first above mentioned the spring 1) allows the switch F to be depressed by the needle-shanks which are being depressed by the wing-cam B.

It may be understood that the switches F F produce an automatic adjustment of the center cam,dispensing with the necessityfor moving the whole cam bodily.

When it is not desired to knit the whole Width of the machine, those needles near the ends of the machine which it is not desired to knit upon require to be slipped down to the bottom of the grooves in the plate 1), so that the fixed lower portion, E, of the cam will pass over their shanks.

To adapt the cam above described 'to the knitting of plain ribbed work it is only necessary to lock or secure the switch F in the position shown in Fig. 4, completely closing the passage over 0*, which will compel the needleshanks to pass over the whole height of the cam in the movement of the carriage in either direction. To effect this adjustment of the said switch F, a small finger-lever, G, is pivoted to the back of the lock-plate in such manner andposition as to be capable of being pressed against the outer side of the toe a of the said switch, and the said lever, the lower end of which is within reach of the fingers of the attendant, is so tightly pivoted or otherwise fitted that its friction will overcome the pressure of the spring I) and keep the switch F closed upon the foot-piece E.

The construction and arrangement of the switches may be considerably varied from what is shown in Figs. 2,3,4 of the drawings. The two switches, operating as hereinabove described, might both be pivoted by one pin or pivoted to the lock-plate, as shown in the drawings, Fig. 5.

To adapt the invention to the knitting of circular web and plain ribbed web, the only modification of construction necessary is such as is shown in Fig. 6-viz., to make the upper edge, 6*, of the stationary foot-piece E of the cam lower and the switches F F correspondingly longer than is shown in Figs. 2, 3, 4, the piece E only requiring to be a strip suflicient to serve as astop to the switch F, to close the passage under the points of the switches. The result of this change will be that in the backward movement of the carriage the needles are not raised high enough to receive any thread.

It will be obvious that the relative positions of the lifting-switch F and the switch F for directing the needles into the lower passage over the edge 0* of the foot-piece may be reversed, their proper relative positions depending on whether the needles are to be lifted to their full height in the movement of the carriage to the right or to the left.

It is also obvious that the several cams, with their switches and appurtenances, might be attached directly to the carriage of the knittingmachine instead of to a lock-plate firmly secured to the carriage, the separate lock-plate being only employed as a matter of convenience.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. In a knitting-machine, the combination, with the needles and the lock-plate or carriage and two win g-cams for depressing the needles, of a center cam for lifting the needles, composed of a foot-piece and two pivoted switches, both adapted either to permit the passage of the needles between them and the foot-piece, or to prevent said passage and cause the needles to pass completely over them, substantially as and for the purposes herein described.

2. A needle-elevating cam divided horizontally, and having a vertically-yielding portion beneath which the needles may pass, in combination with means, substantially such as described, for restoring the yielding portion to its normal position when released, substantially as set forth.

3. A needle-elevating cam having an upper vertically-yielding portion with one end exposed or overhung, substantially as described, so that ascending needles will engage automatically thereunder, substantially as set forth.

4. The needle-elevating cam divided horizontally, and having the upper vertically-yielding portion constructed, substantially as set forth, to pass over the needle-shanks in one direc tion and under them in the opposite direction, whereby the needles may be raised higher when traveling in one direction than in the other.

5. The combination of the depressing-cams, the needles, and the elevating-cam divided horizontally, and having its upper portion free to pass alternately over and under the needleshanks, the position and movementofsaid movable portion being determined and produced by the needles, substantially as described.

6. Thecombination of a lock-plate, the lifting-cam having the vertically-movable top section, and an outside spring acting thereon, substantially as described.

7. The combination,with the needles and the lock-plate or carriage, of the foot-piece E, the switches F F, a springfor depressing the switch F to the said foot-piece, a spring for turning away the switch F from the said foot-piece, and a device for confining the said switchF to the foot-piece, substantially as herein described.

8. The combination of the wing-cams B B and the lifting carn composed of the foot-piece E and the switches F F, substantially as herein described.

9. The combination, with the lock-plate or carriage of a knittin g-machine, of the cams B B, the foot-piece E, switches F F, pivotsfj, toes a a, and sprin gs b b, substantially as here-, indescribed.

AVERY B. DODGE.

Witnesses:

FREDK. HAYNES, E. 1?. J EssUP.

IIS 

